ALASKA • Frank Maier Marathon

Alaska

Thursday's three-hour delay leaving Miami made me miss my first connecting flight. Upon arrival in Juneau at about 1:00 p.m. Friday I did some light hiking near the Mendenhall Glacier and drove the course. With my metabolism four hours off Eastern time, and having gotten maybe two hours' actual sleep Thursday night in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, I had no problem turning in early Friday night and sleeping well. I left the hotel at 5:25 a.m. for the 6:00 a.m. start—got halfway there and realized I'd left my CamelBak at the hotel! After speeding back to retrieve it I made it to the marathon start line with three minutes to spare.

Nice doggie!
(If I'd taken this photo three seconds later
it would not have been suitable for printing here)

We set out on an Alaskan summer morning just cool enough that I wished I had my gloves for the first hour. I chatted with Shery (from San Antonio) for the first five miles or so. She moved on ahead.
The course provided fluid stations every two miles or so. The first (and last) ten miles of the out-and-back course brought several moderate hills. Scenery included mainly forest foliage and occasional mountains until Mile 11 brought gorgeous views of the Mendenhall Glacier and the Chilkoot Mountains across the bay. They saved the largest hill for the halfway turnaround. Ugh. But making that turnaround and beginning the descent proved well worth it with another magnificent view of the Mendenhall.
At about m14 Marvin caught up to me and stayed with me the rest of the way. I'd begun running out of gas, but I matched his jogging until about m20. Due to digestive problems I ate only one and a half GatorBars. This lack of fuel certainly may have contributed to my lethargy.

	For whatever mix of reasons, I couldn't muster the strength to jog. Even on the final downhill through Douglas and into Savikko Park, I just walked along to the finish.

	Thanks to Marvin— a real help through a difficult day.

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Some of us gathered at Bullwinkle's for pizza at 6:00 p.m. I enjoyed the group time and led a toast for race director Ben Van Alen and the production team. As I knew I wouldn't feel up for much of anything else Sunday, I changed my afternoon return ticket to the morning and arrived in Miami Sunday night.

Post-race at Bullwinkle's. Race Director Ben Van Alen at far left.

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